Automatic door operating means



Jan. 26, 1932. L. H. GROSS AUTOMATIC DOOR OPERATING MEANS Filed Nov. 26, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet A IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII m A IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIl/[I I! Jan. 26, 1932. H. GROSS 1,842,522

AUTOMATIC DOOR OPERATING MEANS Filed Nov. 26, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a! E 7}) gag/q a 4 5 I z 2 9' 3 I 4 Z a\\\\\\ nm I'L tedbpidawmv Patented Jan. 26, 1932 FEE LED 11'. GROSS, OF BARTELSO, ILLINOIS AUTOMATIC DOOR OPERATING MEANS Application filed November 26, 1930. Serial No. 498,280.

The present invention relates to means for opening and closing the doors of buildings, and especially garage doors, where it is desirable to open and close the doors without 5 the necessity of the driver descending from the driving seat.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide means operable by the wheels of the automobile in passing in and out of the garage, whereby the doors of the garage will be opened, or closed, as required, without the necessity of the driver descending from his seat.

Another object is to provide means perated by one of the doors for breaking the circuit of the electric motor and stopping the motor when the doors are closed.

Another object is to provide means for manually opening or closing the doors when at a distance from said doors when so required.

-With the above and other objects in view, which will more particularly appear from the following specification, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings one embodiment of my invention as applied to private garages. In said drawings, like numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the various views, and

Figure 1 shows a front view of garage and doors and certain of the operating parts.

Figure 2 shows a top plan view (portions broken away).

Figure 3 is a detail elevation of the means employed to unlock and release the doors.

Figure 4. is a detail view of the means pro vided for closing the doors.

Figure is a detail view of the contact switch for stopping the motor when the doors are closed.

The present invention relates to mechanism for opening and closing doors in buildings, and especially to doors of private garages. in the ordinary operation of garage doors, the owner opens the doors by hand, then climbs into his automobile, and backs the car out, after which it is necessary for him to descend from the car and close the doors by hand. In entering the garage, it is necessary 50 to descend from the car, open the doors by hand, and them climb into the car and drive it within the garage, afterward, closing the doors by hand. For the convenience and saving of time and eii'ort for the owner, the present invention provides means whereby the doors of the garage may be closed automatically, after the owner has backed the car out of the garage, without the necessity of the owner descending from the drivers seat, and again, the garage doors may be opened to permit the automobile to be driven into the garage, also without the necessit for the owner to descend from his drivers seat. This quick automatic means for opening and closing the garage doors provides a saving of time and eifort, and is especially convenient in inclement weather, saving the driver from exposure to rain, snow or other disagreeable weather conditions.

To accomplish the results described above,

I have provided the usual hinged garage doors with springs 3, 3, adapted to swing the doors 1 and 2 outwardly whenever said doors are released from the spring latch 4C. This spring latch 4 is preferably of the style wherein the latch is released by turning the post 5, and is usually mounted upon the inner side of the door frame above the doors. To operate this latch and release the doors so that they may be opened from without, I have provided the latch post 5 with an arm 6. A cable, chain or rod 7 connects this arm 6 with one arm of a. bell crank 8 mounted to rotate upon the post 9 attached to the inner side of the door frame. A. cable or chain 10 is attached to the second arm of the bell crank 8, and this cable is carried downwardly through the pipe 11 and outward through a horizontal pipe, (not shown) to the box 12, where the end is securely attached to the free end of the arm 30, rotatably mounted upon the rod 13, which in turn is mounted in suitable hearings in the sides of the boX 12. Said rod extends outwardly beyond the side of the box 12 to ward the driveway in front of the garage, and has the trip 14-. attached thereto as shown. A second arm 15 is fixedly attached to the rod 3, and turns with. it, and is adapted on its outward movement to engage the arm 30 and push it outwardly, whenever the rod 13 is turned in that direction. In the opening of the garage doors these parts operate as follows :-As the automobile approaches the garage, the front wheel is made to engage the trip 14, and force it toward the garage. This movement turns the rod 13 and the arm 15 turns backward, engaging and turning the arm 30, which in turn pulls the cable, 10', which turns the bell crank 8, which in turn rotates the post 5 in the latch 4, thereby releasing said latch, thereby permitting the springs 3, 3 to throw the doors open until they engage the door stops 16, 16 and are held in such open position by said springs, until said.

doors are again closed, as herein described.

The closing of the doors is attained by means of an electric motor 17 preferably mounted within the garage above the line of the top of the doors. This motor has a drum 18 on its shaft, and attached to this drum is the strap 19, having the two branches 20 and 21 attached tothe two doors respectively as shown. The electric motor is operatively connected with some source of electric current, as the lighting system in the garage, one line of which leads through the switch 23 and the switch 22 to the motor. The switch 23 is an ordinary push button switch, and the switch 22' is a spring actuated switch, having one member 2a positioned in the path of the door 1,. and in closed position, the door holds the member 24 out of contact with the second member of the switch, thus opening the circuit. Nhen the door 1 is in open position, the member 24: moves forward under the impulse of its spring, and forms contact with the second member of the switch, thereby closing said switch. Thus, when the doors are open, if the switch 23 is operated byhand, the circuit to the motor is closed through the closed switch 22, and the motor is operated by the electric current, thereby rotating the drum, and winding up the strap, until the doors are closed, and latched, at which position, the pressure of the door 1 against the member 24 of the switch 23 again opens said switch and breaks the circuit to the motor, thus stopping the motor.

To provide a means for closing the garage doors after the car has been driven out, and without descending from the drivers seat, I have provided the mechanism as follows A second electric circuit is conductedto the motor passing through the switch 22,. and the switch 25 located in the box 12 as shown. A plunger 26 is provided, adapted to engage both members of said switch 25 when said plunger is at its rearward position, and thus close the circuit through said switch. The plunger is operated by means of the rod 31 connecting it with arm 15. V 7

By means of the mechanism described above, the garage doors are closed in the manner following: When the doors are opened to permit the car to be backed out, the

switch 22 is closed, as above explained. As the car is backed out, the rear wheel is made to engage the trip 14;, pushing it away from the garage, and rotating the rod 13, carrying the arm 15 to which the rod 31 and plunger 26 are attached, thereby pushing said plunger into engagement with the switch members 25, thereby closing the motor circuit through said switch, and starting said motor, which in turn winds up the strap 19 upon its drum, and pulls the doors closed, as described above. When the door 1 is closed it opens the switch 22, as explained above, and the motor is stopped thereby. To hold the trip 14, and plunger 26' in neutral position, I have provided the spring 27 attached tothe rod 13 and having its ends in engagement with the cover of the box 12, to return the said trip, and plunger to normal position after it; is operated by the wheel of the automobile. A spring 28 is usually provided to hold the cable 10- in normal position against opening the latch by accidental pressure thereon.

While I have shown the push button switch 23 located on the side of the garage in convenient position, it will be apparent that it. may be located at any other preferred position by merely extending the wires to such position, as within the adjoining residence, or other building.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is the following:

1. Door actuating means comprising a vehicle wheel actuated trip, a shaft pivotally supporting said trip, a depending arm loosely mounted on said shaft, a cable connecting the arm with a latch topermit opening of the doors when said trip is moved in one direction against the action of a spring normally tending to maintain said cable taut in opposition to the movement of said armto unlatch the doors, an electric motor actuated means for simultaneously closing the doors, a second depending armv secured to said shaft, a switch in the motor circuit actuated by said arm when the trip is moved inthe opposite direction for closing said doors, and an auxiliary switch interposed in the motor circuit actuated by the door when moved to closed position to break said motor circuit, said first dependingarm being held in contact with said second arm by said tensioned cable to permit said second arm to be independently moved in one direction. to. close thedoors and when moved in the opposite direction to cause corresponding movement of said first arm to unlatch the doors.

2.. In combination with vehicle actuated doors having Lin-latching means and motor operated doorclosing means, a casingmounted in a roadway, a shaft pivoted in the casing, a vehicle actuated trip secured to said shaft and disposed vertically through an opening in the top of said casing, a depending arm secured to said shaft, a plunger pivotally secured to said arm, a pair of contacts mounted in the casin and adapted to be electrically connected by the movement of the plunger in one direction to close the circuit to the motor operated door closing means, a second depending arm loosely mounted on said shaft and contacting said first arm when the plunger is moved in the opposite direction, a cable connection between said second arm, a door 'unlatching means, and a double acting spring normally maintaining said depending arms in neutral position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature to the foresaid specification.

LEO H. GROSS. 

